President Trump acquitted by Senate, vote split along party lines

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – President Donald Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate as expected on Wednesday afternoon.

“It was a difficult decision. I came to it by spending a considerable amount of time over the last several months,” Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) said Wednesday in his first on-camera interview after placing his vote.

Jones decided Wednesday to vote to convict President Trump, finding him guilty on both the abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges.

The Alabama Democrat, who is facing a difficult re-election, said he has a responsibility to uphold his oath.

“There is nothing in either of those oaths that says that I should consider the political consequences so I am very comfortable with where I am, I am very comfortable with explaining this decision. And we’ll go from there,” he said.

Other senators came to a different conclusion.

“There’s an election in nine months. If you don’t like the president, which the Democrats don’t – they dislike this guy, go get your vote out,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said.

Sen. Scott joined nearly all Republicans in voting to acquit the president. Utah Senator Mitt Romney was the only Republican who voted to convict the president of abuse of power.

The vote marks the end of a polarizing process. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said he’s now ready to get back to business as usual.

“I think most Americans, people back in North Carolina, just want to move on,” Sen. Tillis said.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), who entered Congress in the midst of the impeachment process, said she was still able to get work done during the trial.

“I would hop in a phone booth in the Senate cloakroom, close the door and start making calls back to Georgians at home so that I didn’t get disconnected from it,” Sen. Loeffler said.

Senators are already on their way back to their home states and will return to Washington next week.